New England Patriots
The Jets are one of the worst teams in football, as the Patriots are 13.5-point favorites to win Sunday’s game.
If the Patriots need a get-right game after how the last two weeks went, Sunday presents a perfect opportunity to do that.
The Patriots take on the 3-12 Jets in East Rutherford on Sunday. Not only are the 12-3 Patriots 13.5-point favorites to win this game, but they also easily dispatched the Jets earlier in the season. They took down New York, 27-14, in a pretty decisive Thursday night victory.
Six weeks later, and the Patriots are set to battle a Jets team that’s only gotten worse since that game in November. New York has gone 1-4 since that game, and head coach Aaron Glenn has made multiple changes to the depth chart and coaching staff over that time.
So, here are five things to know about the Jets before the Patriots go up against them on Sunday.
They’re very injured.
If you thought the Patriots’ injury report for this week was brutal, you might get some eyerolls from Jets fans. Two starters were ruled out (tight end Mason Taylor, edge rusher Will McDonald) on Friday, while a handful of other starters are on injured reserve. Wide receiver Garrett Wilson and guard Alijah Vera-Tucker headline the group of 18 players on injured reserve. For reference, the Patriots have 13 players currently on injured reserve, although only two of those players (offensive tackle Will Campbell, defensive tackle Milton Williams) are regular starters.
Justin Fields was among the latest group of Jets players to be placed on injured reserve this week. However, the quarterback lost his starting job following the Jets’ Week 11 loss to the Patriots and hasn’t played since.
Still, the injuries like the ones Fields has suffered have paved the way for the Jets to play some pretty inexperienced players across their roster. Second-year undrafted free agent Isaiah Williams has seen a lot more playing time at wide receiver, for instance. Their entire starting secondary features players who were either Day 3 draft picks or undrafted free agents over the last few years.
New York is starting an undrafted rookie at quarterback, and he’s played like one so far.
New York is also playing a pretty inexperienced player at quarterback. Brady Cook will make his third start on Sunday, just over seven months after the Jets signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Missouri. But the Jets are rolling with Cook over Tyrod Taylor this week, even though the veteran quarterback is expected to suit up for Sunday’s game.
Cook hasn’t experienced the successful underdog arc through his first few games in the NFL. He’s completed just 59.2 percent of his passes for 527 yards, one touchdown, and six interceptions to go with a 51.7 passer rating in three games, replacing Taylor in their Week 14 loss to the Dolphins. He hasn’t provided a lot in the run game, either, going for 51 yards on eight carries so far.
In terms of Cook’s passing profile, he doesn’t push the ball downfield much. Of the quarterbacks who have as many dropbacks as he does, only three have a worse average depth of target (ADOT) than he does: Aaron Rodgers, Dillon Gabriel, and Kyler Murray.
So, this should be an easy test for the Patriots’ defense, even if their front has struggled to generate pressure as of late.
Their defense has taken a major step back.
Remember when the Jets had one of the game’s most vaunted defenses? That’s certainly not the case anymore.
Of course, it was expected that New York’s defense would take a step back following its surprising trades of cornerback Sauce Gardner and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. But the Jets’ defensive downfall goes beyond that. They rank 22nd in total defense and 30th in scoring defense, giving up 28.4 points per game this season. They fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks after allowing at least 34 points in back-to-back games in Weeks 14 and 15.
In terms of stopping the pass, the Jets rank 13th in passing yards allowed, 24th in pass rush win rate, and tied for 31st in sacks. They’re 28th in rushing defense, 18th in yards per carry against, and seventh in run stop win rate. So, the Jets really aren’t spectacular in any facet defensively.
On top of that, the Jets are also 30th in defensive DVOA to go with the league’s worst passing defense DVOA. Suffice it to say, you’d be hard-pressed to find a stat that the Jets’ defense is good at, especially when it comes to takeaways.
You’ve likely heard about their lack of interceptions so far, but they can’t get takeaways.
If you’ve watched any Jets game this year or are pretty in tune with the NFL, there’s a strong chance you’ve heard about the fact that they’ve yet to get an interception this season. New York has already set the record for the longest start to a season without an interception in NFL history, a record it set several weeks ago.
But the Jets’ inability to get takeaways isn’t just a matter of intercepting the opposing quarterback. They’ve logged just four fumble recoveries, which is tied for the fourth-fewest fumble recoveries in the league.
With only four fumble recoveries this year, the Jets are on pace to set the league record for the fewest takeaways by a team in a season in NFL history. The 2018 49ers currently hold that dishonor, with only seven takeaways in 2018.
And it isn’t necessarily a luck thing, either. The Athletic’s Zack Rosenblatt noted earlier in December that the Jets had only forced opposing quarterbacks to have six turnover-worthy plays through their first 12 games, per Pro Football Focus. So, it might have to take a really bad pass from Drake Maye in order for the Jets to get their first interception of the season on Sunday.
The good players on their active roster are few and far between.
If you’re seeking players on the Jets to keep an eye on during Sunday, you’re going to have to do some digging. Running back Breece Hall is arguably the only player on their active roster who is an above-average starter. He’s for 954 yards on 4.2 yards per carry to go with 45 receptions for 332 yards and four total touchdowns this season, shouldering a major burden on offense.
Defensively, edge rusher Jermaine Johnson has had his moments, but he hasn’t been terribly consistent. He’s got three sacks in 12 games this year, but has been good at stopping the run (10th-best run stop win rate among edge rushers). Linebacker Jamien Sherwood is eighth in total tackles (140), while second-year defensive tackle Jowon Briggs has four sacks this year.
Still, you have to really reach to find the talent on the Jets’ active roster, which explains why they only have three wins this year and seem ready to bring a new wave of talent this offseason.
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